Anything that helps us get dressed quickly and look effortlessly put-together is a big winner in our book, which is why we're loving the idea of beaded collars. Forget the struggle of finding the right accessories: With an embellished neckline, there's no need for a necklace, earrings become optional, and at the very most, all you need to dress your wrists is a bangle or two. (Hey, that's less money spent on baubles, too, right?)

Tunics, tanks and dresses all benefit from beaded collars. Tribal-inspired wooden beads look casually chic for day; dainty pearl embellishments add the perfect touch for a night out. As far as we're concerned, it's full bead ahead with this very wearable trend. Click the pics for product details...

The Budget Babe's International Travel Advisor Fifi LaMode enjoys a few moments of solemn reflection in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala. —TBB


by Fifi LaMode
Several villages dot the landscape around Lake Atitlan. Probably the most visited is Santiago Atitlan. The shops on the narrow streets sell paintings, handicrafts and richly embroidered fabrics. Each region of Guatemala has its distinctive embroideries. In Santiago Atitlan it's birds: Quetzales, macaws, you name it.

What is also unique to the area is the headdress the women wear. It's a thin red woolen band that wraps around and around the head, forming a sort of halo effect. Of course the women make it look easy but it's a thin strip of wool and I don't know how they wind it around without anything slipping. The tradition is very old as these headdresses can be found on monuments from at least 1200 years ago. This area is also known for ikat, a tie-dyed thread used in weaving.

In the square there is a church that's a reminder that it was not always so peaceful in Santiago Atitlan. Guatemala suffered immensely during a 30-year civil war which ended in 1996. Many civilians died or disappeared. Some of the deaths were caused by guerrillas, some by government militias. Sometimes one masqueraded as the other to shift blame.